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A beautiful name for a beautiful record – a classic set of hardbop material from John Coltrane's early years as a leader – and a session that has him working with Donald Byrd on trumpet, Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Taylor on drums! The album's got a beautifully... read more

This is a repackaged version of an album that was originally issued under Cecil Taylor's name, under the title Hard Drive (and later Stereo Drive, or something like that). The record brings together two of the late 50's most promising modernists – Cecil Taylor and John Coltrane – in a... read more

Recorded in 1965, but not released until 1977, this is an earlier version of Trane's extended Meditations suite played by the quartet that included McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, and Elvin Jones – without the extra accompaniment that graced the later version. Beautiful stuff, with a sound that'... read more

One of our favorite albums ever from John Coltrane – but a record that's sometimes eclipsed by the genius of A Love Supreme! The feel here is very similar to that one – long tracks that introduce a new mode of searching, spiritual jazz for the 60s – one that's performed by a core... read more

John Coltrane returns to the Village Vanguard – but his sound here is a lot more far-reaching than a few years before! The album's a great counterpart to the first Vanguard session – as it takes all of the bold, soaring energy of that date, and balances it with the newly introspective... read more

A pure statement of being and essence – and one of John Coltrane's spiritual masterpieces from the 60s! The 1965 recording was one of Trane's most adventurous so far – as it featured just one album-length track, building up out of relatively free expressions from Coltrane in the studio... read more

A mellow soulful classic by John Coltrane – and one of his best-remembered early albums for Prestige! The session has all the gentle glow that you might guess from the title – a laidback, open-ended approach that has Coltrane blowing long solos over rhythms from the trio of Red Garland... read more

Soaring work from the legendary John Coltrane Quartet – a session that was incredibly far-reaching for the time, and which originally was unissued until after the time of Coltrane's death! The record's got the group really pushing forward strongly – hitting a Love Supreme mode, but... read more

A landmark album of vocal jazz – and one of the few sessions that John Coltrane ever cut with a singer! In a way, the album's more Hartman's than it is Coltrane's – given that Johnny's warm, mellow style of singing isn't as free and open as Trane at his most adventurous – but at... read more

A various artist compilation Prestige put together to capitalize on the popularity of the Oscar-winning Elizabeth Taylor film Cleopatra with music that features Eastern and Egyptian themes. In spite of how you may feel about the concept, the set features some tracks that have become harder to come... read more

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One of the most haunting albums we've ever heard from Perry Como – a session recorded in Italy during the mid 60s – featuring arrangements by Nick Perito, and backing vocals by the Alessandro Alessandroni Singers! The tunes include a fair bit of older Italian numbers – some sung... read more

A great early album from Con Funk Shun – a mix of funkier tunes and some excellent smooth modern ones in step with the mellower work by Cameo or Maze – done with more soaringly emotional sounds that moves beyond their peers! A love for earlier 70s styles might be what pushes Secrets... read more

The fourth LP in the Town Hall concert series featuring Condon with Pee Wee Russell, Lee Wiley, Muggsy Spanier and Gene Krupa. Titles include "I'll Get By", "Black And Blue", "Clarinet Marmalade", "Sugar" and others.... read more

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Amazing stuff – and one of Chris Connor's greatest records for Atlantic! There's a depth to this set that passes some of her others from the time – partially because the album features a very hip set of tunes, written by Ornette Coleman, Norman Mapp, John Lewis, Peggy Lee, and others... read more

Despite any prejudice you might have against Maynard Ferguson, he actually does a damn good job backing up Chris Connor's lovely voice on this record – probably because his band is super-hip, and includes players like Jaki Byard, Joe Farrell, and Rufus Jones. Connor is in fine icy form, as... read more

One of Norman Connors' first true soul albums – a real shift from his earlier work in the spiritual jazz mode, and a sublime blend of styles! The record still shows plenty of traces of Norman's earlier roots – as he blends together jazzy influences with smoother mid 70s production... read more

A fantastic bit of modern soul from Norman Connors – proof that he was still growing and changing as an artist, continuing to push his groove into whole new areas as the 70s progressed. The record takes the smooth jazzy sound of the earlier Buddah sides, sharpens it into a more sophisticated... read more

A masterpiece of mellow soul and jazzy grooves, with the heavenly title cut – "You Are My Starship" – which features Michael Henderson on vocals and Gary Bartz on sax! Bartz plays on a number of other cuts, too, including a remake of "The Creator Has a Master Plan",... read more

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A great early RCA set from Sam Cooke – issued with the odd tag "Folk Favorites" in the corner – but done with that unmistakable soul vibe that Sam helped invent at the time! True, many of the tunes have folk music roots – but they're re-swung by Sammy Lowe with some... read more

A classic live album – one of the first in soul music, and a beautiful set of smooth soul tunes from Sam Cooke! Sam's singing at the high-end nitespot The Copacabana – and like many live sets performed there, this one's tailored a bit to the classy crowd at the show – but that... read more

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The third album from Alice Cooper and perhaps the first great one – starting the 70s sleaze show win streak with the massive "I'm Eighteen" and an LP full of great, gritty and grimy rock and roll. Bob Ezrin's producing for the first time, and if the songs and the whole show isn't... read more

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A classic bit of jazzy fusion from Chick Corea and the legendary Return To Forever group that included Flora Purim and Airto! The sound of the album influenced a generation, and although the album was overlooked by groovers for years, partly due to its success, it still sounds surprisingly fresh... read more

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A wonderful album from this enigmatic soul group! Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose were one of a handful of early 70s groups – like Chairmen Of The Board or 100 Proof Aged In Soul – who had a sound that was incredibly hard to peg. There were bits of southern rawness in the vocals,... read more

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Fantastically groovy bit of funky instrumental cuts, and probably the best thing that Dave Cortez ever did. Produced by the Isley Brothers, and featuring instrumental versions of lots of their great early T-Neck hits. Includes the massive version of "I Turned You On", with a great intro... read more

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A weird little record from Bill Cosby – a set that's not as all-out funky as some of his other vocal albums, but still pretty nice overall! The style here is more bluesy than soul-based, but production is still by Fred Smith, of 103rd Street Rhythm Band fame – and the album has a sense... read more

When we were impressionable little arty tykes, this was one of our favorite soundtracks. It's got some beautiful Satie-esque tracks that feature solo piano by Vladimir Cosma, plus some weird Euro electronic stuff that has a nice cold feel to it. Also features a few tracks from the opera "La... read more

Light mellow Verve-y instrumental orchestral stuff, featuring Don Costa's versions of contemporary pop stuff, like "Heroes & Villains", "All You Need Is Love", "Ode To Billie Jo". and "Valley of the Dolls". Not totally jazzy, but a nice package of soft... read more

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A seminal session of LA hardbop – featuring a great group that includes Gerald Wilson, Jack Sheldon, Harold Land, Frank Butler, and pianist Carl Perkins, the unique talent who had a strange way of playing the keys (sideways!), and who died shortly after the recording of this set. As the... read more

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Although Don's probably best known for his Atlantic stuff, we really love this album for Mercury from the early 70s. It's a nice bit of 70s soul, with a sound that's a lot more in place than that of his earlier recordings in the decade, which were a bit bluesy. The LP includes the great AM radio... read more

A great 2-fer – featuring both of Noel Coward's Columbia albums in one 70s set. First up is Noel Coward In New York – a very cool album from Coward – a talent you're probably more familiar with as a playwright, but who also happens to be quite the entertainer! This album is one... read more

Nice stuff – although very different than Stan's albums for Strata East – smoother and funkier, with a west coast Fantasy Records kind of groove overall! Vocals are by Loretta Divine and Charles B Fowlkes – and the album features work by Eddie Henderson, Julian Priester, and... read more

A strangely varied LP from Stanley – one that features a mix of electric and acoustic piano tunes, mostly all played solo, but with the complexity and depth of imagination that always makes Cowell's work so great. The real gems are the electric tunes – like "Sienna – Welcome... read more

An overlooked late 60s treasure on Blue Note – one of the few new groups to work on the label at the time, and an up-and-coming modern combo from Detroit! The album's quite unique for a number of reasons – not just because the group was a little-known new signing to the label, but also... read more

Melodic, beautiful, but still pretty adventurous solo guitar from Richard Crandell – originally a private press release, from a player that turned out to be pretty influential to guitar gurus such as Leo Kottke, who recorded "Rebecca" – plus a Crandell piece was included on... read more

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One of Hank Crawford's first big records of the 70s – a really great set that helps him shake off some of his stock modes of the 60s and find a very different groove! A big part of the album is arranger Don Sebesky, who gives Hank a backdrop that's sophisticated and smooth, yet still pretty... read more

Mr. Blues is right! Hank's soulful alto is set in some nice little group settings, playing short tracks that are a mix of originals ("Mr. Blues", "Smoky City", and "The Turfer") and soul or pop tunes. Hank also plays a bit of piano on the record, and other players... read more

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Randy Crawford at the height of her powers – working here with a sweet jazzy vibe! Windsong features Randy singing with relatively full arrangements – smooth, but never too slick – and done in a way that really lets her vocals take command of the entire set. Titles include "... read more

One of the grooviest albums ever cut by Papa John Creach – a set that mixes his bluesy roots with some stoner funk and rock elements from the early 70s! Creach is on vocals and violin, and working here with a host of famous luminaries – including Grace Slick, Carlos Santana, Paul... read more

A pretty nice record with a colorful cover that always catches our eye when crate-digging! The group's half-soul, half-rock – and plays with some righteous touches that include a bit of jazzy riffing and the occasional reggae undercurrent. Carol Stallings lays down some great lead vocals on... read more

Despite the title of the album, the group's a sharp-edged fusion combo – one that hails from late 70s Japan, and who works here in the best mainstream fusion mode of the time! The tunes are mostly jazz funk with a bit of polish – heavy on guitars from Kazuo Takeda, who also takes off... read more

Their first album of funky soul, and still a major classic from the early 70s! Creative Source were way more than just a regular soul vocal group from the start – as they had some superior vocal arrangements from Skip Scarborough, who really gave the group a unique approach that mixed jazz,... read more

Smooth jazzy soul from this massively overlooked group from the 70s! Although many know their bigger recordings on Sussex, these Polydor sides are much more appealing to us, and have a nice jazzy soul sound that's similar to work of groups like Side Effect – with a mixture of harmony soul... read more

Forget the "funk" in this album – because the best bits are the mellow ones! Crème D'Cocoa are one of those groups pushing slick bass-heavy funk when they should stick to the mellower cuts – which they do nicely on this album, in a smooth male/female harmony style that... read more

A sweet and smooth batch of modern soul tracks – arranged and produced by Tony Camillo, and the only album we've ever seen by this obscure east coast group! The set's got a really nice jazzy flourish – part New York club, part mellow studio soul – and the overall presentation of... read more

One of her better albums of bossa nova stuff, given a bit of a 70's twist, and with the kind of percussive edge that you might expect from a title like "A Bahia". Mike Ribas arranged, and with performance by Sebastio Tapajos and Pedro Dos Santos. Tracks include "Ossain", "... read more

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Great early work from Andrae Crouch & The Disciples – just the kind of soulful set that made the group a big crossover act at the time! Although gospel at heart, the record's got a nicely secular feel in approach – a style that's a bit like some of the other larger group soul of... read more

They certainly got the title right on this one – as the album's one of THE soul/gospel crossover albums of the 70s – a masterpiece of majestic soul that's right up there with similar work from the time by Rance Allen and The Mighty Clouds Of Joy. Crouch's vocals are wonderful –... read more

Their first LP, and one that we like way better than anything else they ever did. The record's got a great bunch of hard funky cuts done at a fast tempo – without the throwaway disco sound of some of their other albums, and lots of sax and keyboards in the lead. A bit like early Bohannon at... read more

Seminal 70s work from Crown Heights Affair – recorded when the group still had a lot of fire, and were working in that key transitional sound from soul to disco! The album's got a really full and grooving feel – and includes both disco and vocal versions of their hit "Dreaming A... read more

All twelve pieces are played on piano, which is amplified and modified in various ways.... read more

The Crusaders are really going strong at this point – in near-hit status, almost acting as the Steely Dan of LA jazz. The sound is certainly slicker than before, but in a way that's actually pretty darn nice – as Joe Sample, Wilton Felder, Stix Hooper, and Larry Carlton come together... read more

A great Crusaders album – and one that's a perfect bridge between their earlier soul jazz styles, and their tighter funkier electric one. The record was recorded live at the Roxy, and the group is augmented by Larry Carlton on guitar, who gives the tracks a nice razor edge at his best... read more

What can we say? When this record came out, everybody we knew thought they'd totally lost it, and stopped being funky. From the vantage point of this generation, though, the record's a jazz funk masterpiece, with a smooth R&B sound that's virtually flawless, and a perfect summation of all of... read more

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Uptempo soul from Europe, of the sort that would soon turn into Euro-disco, but which at this point was still a melding of different musical influences showing up in the Euro clubs, a fair number of them percussive funky ones. Tracks are short, and titles include "Love To Dance This One With... read more

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Features Frank on keyboards, and Pat Leone on guitar and vocals.... read more

One of the groovier soundtracks that Mike Curb ever recorded – a light batch of easy numbers with some electric bass and/or guitar at the bottom – tripping with a bit more punch than you might expect, and floating with some really wonderful instrumental touches at times! In a way, this... read more

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Tremendous work from trumpeter Ted Curson – and one of the few records that shows up often in his oeuvre, but which is every bit as great as his rare and expensive albums! Side one features killer material from Curson's group with tenorist Bill Barron – three cuts recorded in Paris in... read more

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The best of a handful of albums that the one-time Prince bassist put out in the early 80s – a record that made a splash via the great Prince-penned "The Dance Electric" – possibly a blessing and a curse for AC, as Prince was so huge at the time that the record going public was... read more

It's easy to survive the 80s when you've got an army of future-suit cats behind you – and given the groove here, it's clear that Andre Cymone was doing way more than just surviving back in the day! The set's a super-tight batch of 80s grooves – with a sharp sound that comes from lots... read more

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